Overview
Tucked below the Sangre De Cristo mountains of Southern Colorado resides a unique sanctuary called Mission: Wolf that hosts a group of 40 wolves born into captivity. Wild wolves were once abundant in Colorado, playing an important role in the health of the ecosystem, but today there are fewer than 4,000 wild wolves in the lower 48 states. This action-packed program combines low-impact camping at Mission: Wolf, teamwork, communication, survival and animal tracking skills, as well as the completion of Action Projects to help care for the wolves and their habitat. Click here to read about recent adventures in Endangered Wolves Project.
Program Objectives
Through Environmental Education & Service Learning, Endangered Wolves Project seeks to inspire students to:
- Understand basic wolf biology, including: habitat, behaviors, care, and their role in the ecosystem.
Increase their environmental literacy through awareness of environmental stewardship and sustainability efforts. - Gain a broader understanding of environmental issues pertinent to Colorado from a stakeholder perspective.
- Provide an opportunity to develop leadership and teamwork skills.
- Develop essential camping and wilderness skills.
- Develop 21st Century Skills such as: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Collaboration, Communication, and Leadership.
Program Activities May Include:
Camping Skills & Nature Awareness
- Hiking
- Wilderness Survival Skills
- Primitive Fire Building
- Outdoor Cooking
- Sensory Awareness Games
- Sit Spots
- Journaling
- Wolf and Ecology Lessons
Leadership & Team Building
- Collaboration Skills
- Group Decision-Making
- Communication Styles
- Character Strength Building
- Leadership Opportunities
- Team Building Games and Activities
- Group Living
Service Learning
- Preparing Food and Feeding Wolves
- Trail and Fence Maintenance
- Horse Care
- Landscaping
- Building Maintenance
- Construction Projects
- Gathering Firewood
- Building Fire Bunkers
High-Impact Curriculum
Utilizes best practices in education, 21st Century Skills, Environmental Education, Service Learning, & Leadership Development.
The Endangered Wolves Project can be tailored to meet curriculum needs through use of a custom student journal and guide, including exercises for before, during, and after the program. Curriculum reinforces Colorado academic standards, such as:
- SC10-GR.8-S.2-GLE.1: Human activities can deliberately or inadvertently alter ecosystems and their resiliency
- RWC10-GR.12-S.1-GLE.2: Effective collaborative groups accomplish goals
- PE09-GR.7-S.3-GLE.: Demonstrate inclusiveness in and out of classroom settings
- PE09-GR.HS-S.1-GLE.3: Apply rules, principles, problem-solving skills, and concepts to traditional and nontraditional movement settings
For more information or to book a program, contact Teagan Papke, Program Director, at 303.447.1076 x701 or via Email.
